欧盟每年有近€1500亿（约$1730亿）的企业合规成本，并且在2019-2024年间共通过了接近14,000项法律法规，覆盖了生活的方方面面，包括果酱果含量、官方信纸重量甚至人工智能规则。有一项三年前通过的法规，要求大型企业对全球供应链最多提供1,155个数据点，让企业雇佣专人追踪海外劳动状况。民众和企业都为层层官僚制度所困，包括无休止的网上隐私弹窗和西班牙出现帮助民众处理手续的职业“gestores”，而新住房项目亦因繁琐审批和环境报告而延迟。

面对经济增长乏力和与美国及中国的创新能力对比，欧盟将目光转向提升竞争力。欧洲央行前行长德拉吉于去年提出削减繁文缛节、深化单一市场和大规模投资等举措。然而，欧盟财力有限、利益集团阻碍改革，减少管制成了首选。从2021年承诺每制定一条新法规就废除一条，到目标削减25%的合规成本，再到欧盟委员会主席冯德莱恩提出直接“去监管”，政策导向已明显转变。最新措施包括提出六项涵盖供应链、农业、国防等领域的综合立法，预计年底前还将有更多类似方案出台。

但官僚程序的复杂性反而阻碍了自身简化的努力。削减供应链管制的首部综合法案自今年2月提出后，直到最近才在右翼民粹议员帮助下勉强通过。讽刺的是，主导减负的官员往往正是去年还在制定新规的人。与此同时，欧盟承认新法规的出台每年可能为企业带来约€800亿新成本，这远超所能削减的费用，预示着未来的“去监管列车”还有很长的路要走。

The EU imposes nearly €150bn ($173bn) in annual compliance costs on businesses, having passed almost 14,000 legal acts between 2019 and 2024 that regulate every aspect of daily life, from the fruit content of jams to paper weights and even AI. A regulation from three years ago requires large firms to provide up to 1,155 data points about global supply chains, essentially hiring staff solely to monitor overseas labor conditions. Both citizens and companies are ensnared by bureaucracy, including persistent online privacy pop-ups and in Spain, “gestores” who help people navigate paperwork, while housing projects stall due to exhaustive procedural reports.

With sluggish economic growth and lagging innovation compared to the US and China, the EU’s focus has shifted to competitiveness. Former ECB chief Mario Draghi’s 2023 proposals included cutting red tape, deepening the single market, and massive investment, but limited finances and entrenched interests slowed progress. Regulatory reduction emerged as the obvious path. Initial EU plans promised to remove one regulation for every new one, then aimed to cut compliance costs by 25%, and now, President Ursula von der Leyen advocates for outright “deregulation.” Six omnibus legislative measures have been introduced, covering areas like supply chains, agriculture, and defense, with more expected by year-end.

However, the complexity of bureaucracy is stalling its own reform. The first omnibus law, meant to cut supply-chain rules, was proposed in February but only recently passed with right-wing support. Ironically, regulators now rolling back burdensome laws are often the same ones who created them. Meanwhile, the EU admits new laws in the pipeline could add around €80bn a year to business costs—much more than what is being cut—suggesting future deregulation efforts will be extensive.